The UK Royal Navy has launched a new 320ft state-of-the-art nuclear-powered warship – its latest £1.6billion Astute-class stealth submarine, according to a BAE Systems press release.

The HMS Audacious made a brief inaugural voyage on 7 April, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, where it was built by BAE Systems, to Naval Base Clyde, home of the UK's Submarine Service.

​The attack vessel is 320ft long and weighs 7,400 tonnes, but is able to glide more silently than other subs due to its 39,000 anti-acoustic tiles. HMS Audacious has a total displacement of 7,800 t and can sail at a maximum speed of more than 30 knots.

​The vessel is armed with spearfish heavy torpedoes and subsonic Tomahawk cruise missiles that can hit targets more than 1,000 miles way, and can launch Special Boat Service teams from underwater.

​The sub is able to circumnavigate the globe without needing to resurface due to on-board nuclear reactors that create air and water, and boasts a state-of-the-art sonar system rendering it capable of detecting ships from 3,000 nautical miles away.

The first three Astute-class submarines – the HMS Astute, HMS Ambush and HMS Artful – are already in service, with HMS Audacious becoming the fourth out of a series of seven planned, as the following ones are in various stages of construction.

The UK Royal Navy has launched a new 320ft state-of-the-art nuclear-powered warship – its latest £1.6billion Astute-class stealth submarine, according to a BAE Systems press release.

The HMS Audacious made a brief inaugural voyage on 7 April, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, where it was built by BAE Systems, to Naval Base Clyde, home of the UK's Submarine Service.

​The attack vessel is 320ft long and weighs 7,400 tonnes, but is able to glide more silently than other subs due to its 39,000 anti-acoustic tiles. HMS Audacious has a total displacement of 7,800 t and can sail at a maximum speed of more than 30 knots.

​The vessel is armed with spearfish heavy torpedoes and subsonic Tomahawk cruise missiles that can hit targets more than 1,000 miles way, and can launch Special Boat Service teams from underwater.

​The sub is able to circumnavigate the globe without needing to resurface due to on-board nuclear reactors that create air and water, and boasts a state-of-the-art sonar system rendering it capable of detecting ships from 3,000 nautical miles away.

The first three Astute-class submarines – the HMS Astute, HMS Ambush and HMS Artful – are already in service, with HMS Audacious becoming the fourth out of a series of seven planned, as the following ones are in various stages of construction.